#ReExamine Proverbs 3:5-6

A Tale of Two Christians

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Both live in the United States, but only one unites. Both are Christians, but only one is a disciple. Both are church members, but only one personifies “church”. Both are saved, but only one is sanctified. Both are justified, but only one is just. Both lead households, but only one makes disciples there. Both are visible, but only one is vocal about Jesus. Both are children of God, but only one trusts like a child. Both are loved by Jesus, but only one pays it forward. Both are “men of faith”, but only one is faithful. Both are friendly, but only one is a true friend. Both obey the Lord, but only one is obedient. Both care about the poor, but one is compassionate. Both are filled with the Holy Spirit, but only one exhibits His fruit. Both received mercy, but only one is merciful. Both were shown grace, but only one extends it.

Worship

Christian rarely misses a Sunday. Everyone in the church knows him. He’s warm and likeable, often seen in the foyer mingling with other members. He’s actively involved – attending events and serving on committees. No one would guess, but worship services for Christian are more about going through the motions than emotions. He’s heard the songs, sermons, and prayers countless times. Personal worship, Bible study, and prayer time have started to feel obligatory as well, energizing only when he or his family face a challenge. Throughout the week, he’s living in his own strength.

Faithful has never lost sight of his need for Jesus in every phase of his life. He understands that only a heavenly Father can secure victory over supernatural enemies. Dependence accomplishes what determination can’t. Trust trumps trying. So Faithful worships Jesus earnestly inside and outside of church, not just during his battles but in advance and after they’re over. As an authentic Christ-follower, he considers everything done and said in Jesus’ name to be an act of worship. Prayer is a two-way street, a relationship with his Father, not a soliloquy to an acquaintance.

Discipleship

Christian, in name only, can’t give what he doesn’t have. He’s unable to help others, including his own family members, grow in Christ. He lacks the enthusiasm or sense of responsibility for that task – opting to leave that to his church. Christian’s impact is also muted by inconsistencies inevitably evident between his church, home, and work personas. Moral and ethical lapses would invite perceptions of hypocrisy if he wore his faith on his sleeve. Although not quite a “practical atheist”, Christian is largely indistinguishable from his secular counterparts in the neighborhood and at the office.

Faithful is a seeker in the biblical sense, not according to the contemporary church’s recharacterization to stimulate institutional growth (i.e. a person who doesn’t know Jesus and accepts an invitation to church). The true “seeker” accepts responsibility to share his faith and then brings new believers into a holy worship service. As a disciple, following in the footsteps of Jesus means walking with the Holy Spirit and putting no confidence in the flesh (“self” spelled backwards without the “h”).

Evangelism

Christian isn’t confident in his ability to speak about what he believes, worried about expenditure of social equity and not prepared to answer hard questions that come his way. In all the years he’s attended and led at church, he’s never been trained in how to defend the truth of the Gospel. Talking about his church or occasionally inviting someone next Sunday are as far as Christian is comfortable going. Yet the Great Commission and other Bible verses ask more of every believer, not just pastors.

Faithful sees everything as ministry and everywhere as a mission field. He’s thankful for the freedom he has in America to talk about Jesus. He’s studied how to respond to objections to the problem of evil, challenges to the reliability of the Bible, or demands for evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. Faithful’s sense of urgency comes from the realization that those he loves who don’t know his Father are destined for eternal separation from Him. He’s missed opportunities to reach out to loved ones who passed away – and is determined not to let that happen again.

Compassion

Christian volunteers every Christmas season during his church’s community outreach events. He enjoys the feeling that he’s done something positive for those less fortunate. Christian doesn’t realize that these families need relationships more than goods or services. Misunderstanding the root causes of poverty leads to responses that perpetuate it. Breaking cycles of generational poverty requires personal solutions. Infrequent, arms-length “handouts” create dependence and shame. Only an ongoing “hand up” that builds social capital can foster freedom and dignity.

Faithful, like Jesus, truly cares about the materially poor and gives generously of his time, energy, and money. He’s not content to “check the box”, working directly with families struggling to make ends meet. His primary contribution to them isn’t financial or material with the goal of achieving the American Dream. Faithful has a Kingdom vision in mind – of building support networks across socioeconomic lines to address the isolation and broken relationships the “poor” cite as their definition of poverty.

Cultural Engagement

Christian is concerned about the direction our nation is heading. He’s conservative and outspoken among his friends about his political views. Christian’s inclination is to point out the sins of others and diminish his own. The line between being in the world but not of the world gets blurry – torn between taking advantage (of what our culture offers) and advancing the Kingdom (within our culture). Overall, Christian divides more than he unites within his church and his community.

Faithful is more vocal about Jesus than his personal opinions. He’s a man of action, not just words, knowing the world is watching more than listening. His new nature in Christ is incompatible with society’s desires, hopes, and habits. Faithful resists life’s shiny lures (that hide a hook) – confessing and repenting when he falls short. He seeks peace but stands for justice. He spreads hope but warns of sin’s eternal cost.

Implications for Churches

Christian and Faithful attend different churches. They are products of what they’ve been taught about worship, discipleship, evangelism, compassion, and cultural engagement. Faithful’s church believes that its members are Kingdom employees to equip and deploy, not consumers to attract and retain. Therefore, its leadership…

Still insists on convening Bible studies, not just small groups
Holds members accountable and confronts recurring sin to keep the body pure
Prepares the congregation to witness in today’s challenging world
Disciples one-on-one and in triads to create an environment for multiplication
Is known more for the causes the church stands for than what it’s against
Launched year-round ministries to make a dent in local social issues
Sees compassion as a door opener for effective evangelism, requiring training
Understands a church’s unique role in providing help, hope, and a home
Deals with conflict emanating from divisiveness, self-righteousness, or politics

Those describe what a 1^st century church looks like in the 21^st century. So 21^st century disciples (like Faithful) emerging from that church resemble 1^st century disciples. However, churches who’ve succumbed to culture birth cultural Christians (like Christian). Christianity experienced exponential growth in the 1^st century and record declines in the 21^st because too many churches abandoned those original principles.

It’s Your Turn

Is your church filled with cultural Christians or Faithful disciples?

The post A Tale of Two Christians appeared first on Meet The Need Blog.

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Reimagine Curator August 27, 2026 18:08
A Tale of Two Christians

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Both live in the United States, but only one unites. Both are Christians, but only one is a disciple. Both are church members, but only one personifies “church”. Both are saved, but only one is sanctified. Both are justified, but only one is just. Both lead households, but only one makes disciples there. Both are visible, but only one is vocal about Jesus. Both are children of God, but only one trusts like a child. Both are loved by Jesus, but only one pays it forward. Both are “men of faith”, but only one is faithful. Both are friendly, but only one is a true friend. Both obey the Lord, but only one is obedient. Both care about the poor, but one is compassionate. Both are filled with the Holy Spirit, but only one exhibits His fruit. Both received mercy, but only one is merciful. Both were shown grace, but only one extends it.

Worship

Christian rarely misses a Sunday. Everyone in the church knows him. He’s warm and likeable, often seen in the foyer mingling with other members. He’s actively involved – attending events and serving on committees. No one would guess, but worship services for Christian are more about going through the motions than emotions. He’s heard the songs, sermons, and prayers countless times. Personal worship, Bible study, and prayer time have started to feel obligatory as well, energizing only when he or his family face a challenge. Throughout the week, he’s living in his own strength.

Faithful has never lost sight of his need for Jesus in every phase of his life. He understands that only a heavenly Father can secure victory over supernatural enemies. Dependence accomplishes what determination can’t. Trust trumps trying. So Faithful worships Jesus earnestly inside and outside of church, not just during his battles but in advance and after they’re over. As an authentic Christ-follower, he considers everything done and said in Jesus’ name to be an act of worship. Prayer is a two-way street, a relationship with his Father, not a soliloquy to an acquaintance.

Discipleship

Christian, in name only, can’t give what he doesn’t have. He’s unable to help others, including his own family members, grow in Christ. He lacks the enthusiasm or sense of responsibility for that task – opting to leave that to his church. Christian’s impact is also muted by inconsistencies inevitably evident between his church, home, and work personas. Moral and ethical lapses would invite perceptions of hypocrisy if he wore his faith on his sleeve. Although not quite a “practical atheist”, Christian is largely indistinguishable from his secular counterparts in the neighborhood and at the office.

Faithful is a seeker in the biblical sense, not according to the contemporary church’s recharacterization to stimulate institutional growth (i.e. a person who doesn’t know Jesus and accepts an invitation to church). The true “seeker” accepts responsibility to share his faith and then brings new believers into a holy worship service. As a disciple, following in the footsteps of Jesus means walking with the Holy Spirit and putting no confidence in the flesh (“self” spelled backwards without the “h”).

Evangelism

Christian isn’t confident in his ability to speak about what he believes, worried about expenditure of social equity and not prepared to answer hard questions that come his way. In all the years he’s attended and led at church, he’s never been trained in how to defend the truth of the Gospel. Talking about his church or occasionally inviting someone next Sunday are as far as Christian is comfortable going. Yet the Great Commission and other Bible verses ask more of every believer, not just pastors.

Faithful sees everything as ministry and everywhere as a mission field. He’s thankful for the freedom he has in America to talk about Jesus. He’s studied how to respond to objections to the problem of evil, challenges to the reliability of the Bible, or demands for evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. Faithful’s sense of urgency comes from the realization that those he loves who don’t know his Father are destined for eternal separation from Him. He’s missed opportunities to reach out to loved ones who passed away – and is determined not to let that happen again.

Compassion

Christian volunteers every Christmas season during his church’s community outreach events. He enjoys the feeling that he’s done something positive for those less fortunate. Christian doesn’t realize that these families need relationships more than goods or services. Misunderstanding the root causes of poverty leads to responses that perpetuate it. Breaking cycles of generational poverty requires personal solutions. Infrequent, arms-length “handouts” create dependence and shame. Only an ongoing “hand up” that builds social capital can foster freedom and dignity.

Faithful, like Jesus, truly cares about the materially poor and gives generously of his time, energy, and money. He’s not content to “check the box”, working directly with families struggling to make ends meet. His primary contribution to them isn’t financial or material with the goal of achieving the American Dream. Faithful has a Kingdom vision in mind – of building support networks across socioeconomic lines to address the isolation and broken relationships the “poor” cite as their definition of poverty.

Cultural Engagement

Christian is concerned about the direction our nation is heading. He’s conservative and outspoken among his friends about his political views. Christian’s inclination is to point out the sins of others and diminish his own. The line between being in the world but not of the world gets blurry – torn between taking advantage (of what our culture offers) and advancing the Kingdom (within our culture). Overall, Christian divides more than he unites within his church and his community.

Faithful is more vocal about Jesus than his personal opinions. He’s a man of action, not just words, knowing the world is watching more than listening. His new nature in Christ is incompatible with society’s desires, hopes, and habits. Faithful resists life’s shiny lures (that hide a hook) – confessing and repenting when he falls short. He seeks peace but stands for justice. He spreads hope but warns of sin’s eternal cost.

Implications for Churches

Christian and Faithful attend different churches. They are products of what they’ve been taught about worship, discipleship, evangelism, compassion, and cultural engagement. Faithful’s church believes that its members are Kingdom employees to equip and deploy, not consumers to attract and retain. Therefore, its leadership…
- Still insists on convening Bible studies, not just small groups
- Holds members accountable and confronts recurring sin to keep the body pure
- Prepares the congregation to witness in today’s challenging world
- Disciples one-on-one and in triads to create an environment for multiplication
- Is known more for the causes the church stands for than what it’s against
- Launched year-round ministries to make a dent in local social issues
- Sees compassion as a door opener for effective evangelism, requiring training
- Understands a church’s unique role in providing help, hope, and a home
- Deals with conflict emanating from divisiveness, self-righteousness, or politics
Those describe what a 1^st century church looks like in the 21^st century. So 21^st century disciples (like Faithful) emerging from that church resemble 1^st century disciples. However, churches who’ve succumbed to culture birth cultural Christians (like Christian). Christianity experienced exponential growth in the 1^st century and record declines in the 21^st because too many churches abandoned those original principles.

It’s Your Turn

Is your church filled with cultural Christians or Faithful disciples?

The post A Tale of Two Christians appeared first on Meet The Need Blog.

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